A Soul of Black
by ShaduofTexitar
Summary: I’m not sure if I will ever truly know, or even if it were real, or whether it was just a dream. Maybe I should start from the beginning yet again. Maybe if I did that one more time, maybe I’ll have my answer." R & R Please. No Yaoi. Rated for blood and v
1. He comes

Shadu: Okay, I'm insterting another character of mine that's in another story, that isn't a fan fic. This guy is really cool, that's why I'm writing it. I got some inspiration from Blue Eyes. Thanks! Now enjoy the story.

Hokage: Tell them the other thing.

Shadu: The other thing?

Ish: Yeah,whatchatalkingaboutHokage?

Hokage: You know Shadu, the _other_ thing.

Shadu: Oh, _that_ thing! Alrighty, readers, the pairings start out Kaiba X Serenity, which is pretty much onesided, but goes to Serenity X OC. Now, ENJOY!

Ch. 1

He comes

I'm not sure what happened that day. I've pondered it again, and again, and again, but still, I have yet to determine what happened. All I know is what I saw, heard, felt, and even what happened as a result. But I'm not sure if I will ever truly know, or even if it were real, or whether it was just a dream. Maybe I should start from the beginning yet again. Maybe if I did that one more time, maybe I'll have my answer.

It was a normal day at school. I was really happy to finally be in the high school. The start of the semster had been a couple of months ago, and so we had gotten our routines down. It was pretty fun, and taking higher level classes, I was in a lot of sophmore classes, which means I was in some classes with my brother and his friends. I actually only had one class with my brother (which he was happy about), but I had at least three other classes with each of his friends. That tickled me every time I thought about it.

We were all sitting in sixth hour. The history teacher, Mr. Renner, was talking about something, I'm not sure exactly what. But, as usual, the back half of the room was talking and being loud, causing Mr. Renner to have to continually stop and scold them.

I looked around to locate my friends. Tristan and Duke were sitting near the middle of the class, talking to each other and only stopping when Mr. Renner got mad. Kaiba sat near the back, and he kind of looked like he was paying attention, from a distance. But I knew better.

Kaiba sat near the back for one reason, and one reason only. And I knew it. See, he snoozes in most of his classes, just to catch up on the sleep he lost. He knows how to make it look like he's paying attention, but sometimes he slips up and makes it kind of obivous, and that's pretty funny. I can't believe everyone thinks he's so bad. I mean, I kind of like him. Not that he returns my affection, but he might in time.

Anyways, back to my other friends. Yugi was sitting in front of me, the row captin, as Mr. Renner called him, being at the very front like he was. If you don't know why he would sit there, think of who we're talking about. He sits close like that just to get a good view. Though, something I found interesting was that even Yugi found himself nodding off today, and no matter how boring the class, that was unusual. However, I shrugged it off without another thought. I then looked at the seat that my brother usually inhabited. However, he wasn't there. Had he been here eariler? And if so, what happened to him? Was he okay?

"Yugi," I whispered, poking Yugi's shoulder.

I waited for a reply. Yugi, from behind, looked awake, just with his head resting in his arms, which is something he likes to do. I should've known better, though. I mean, if he's been dozing all day, why would he be awake now? Come on Serenity, did you leave your brain at home today?

"Yugi," I tried again, this time while shaking him gently.

Do you know what a really weird feeling is? It's the feeling of skin rolling over their ribs. On some people, this is easier to feel than others. But due to my inability to really push Yugi forward, I gave him more of a forceful rubbing than anything. And on account of his thin body barely having any fat on it, I could easily feel his skin roll over his ribs. In truth, trying to wake little Yugi in this manner REALLY creeps me out. I was sucessful though. Yugi gave a little snort as he woke up with a jolt. He snapped his head up quickly, as though he had been biten on the back of the neck.

"Yugi," I repeated one last time.

"What the? Oh, uh, Serenity, what's up?" Yugi asked as he looked back at me.

"Have you seen Joey as school today?" I asked, glad that I was finally getting somewhere.

"Uh, no, I haven't," Yugi told me.

And then, as I looked closer and longer at Yugi, I saw just how tired he was. His eyes had dark patches around them. His eyelids drooped and he fought to keep them open, I could tell. Even his voice was horse and tired. Concern for him grew quickly in me, and I had to ask my next question.

"Yugi, are you okay?" I asked softly, trying not to cause him any more stress than he had already had.

"I just had a long night last night," Yugi mumbled.

"Doing what? We didn't have any long homework assignments last night," I stated, raising an eyebrow.

"No, one of Joey's neighbors called me last night asking me to come over quickly," Yugi replied.

"Why?" I pressed.

I wanted to know what happened before, but now I definitely wanted to know because it involved my brother. Anything that involved Joey deserved my attention.

"He had become pretty sick very fast," Yugi explained with a tired yawn. "She didn't know what to do, but knew how he didn't have any insurance, so she couldn't take him to the hospital. And of course, his dad left. I think she actually said he went out of town for a while. So, anyway, Grandpa and I went over there to see if we could help. I stayed up the whole night watching over him."

"You didn't sleep at all?" I gaped in astonishment.

No wonder he was so sleepy today. But then terror struck me. Yugi said that he had become pretty sick very fast. So that means that it had happened over a short period of time, and that means it's serious.

"What's wrong with him Yugi?" I asked frantically.

"I don't know," Yugi replied, sounding just a little irritated. "Listen, I'm going home right after school, I'm going to take a nap. If you want to go to Joey's house, go on."

"Why are you going to sleep at a time like this? Don't you care about what happens to Joey?" I inquired, a little shocked.

"Serenity, calm down, I care for Joey, but I can't go getting sick myself either," Yugi shrugged. "I'll go back over there with Grandpa as soon as I've gotten some sleep."

"But Yugi," I protested.

"Serenity, if you're so concerned go to him, he wants to see you more than he wants to see me anyway, I guanerntee you," Yugi fought back.

I fell silent. Yugi was right, I know it. I can feel it in my heart, in my gut. I know Joey really wants me there by his side. That's Joey's way. He wants those he loves by his side, and while Yugi's his best friend, literally an unrelated brother, he really wanted me, his sister by his side, maybe even Mai. I knew this, and yet, I didn't really want to see my brother weak and vunerable. I had to go, and I would after school. That's what I resolved in the end.

Poor Yugi had just fallen asleep again when the end-of-school bell rang throughtout the classroom, releasing us from the prision more commonly known as school. Yugi, you could tell, was very relieved, and Kaiba looked relieved. I guessed that they both, without even knowing it, were on the same wavelink. They both were probably going home to take a nap. Well, they both were also probably happy because it was a weekend coming up. I could just see Yami making a thank-goodness-it's-Friday-and-so-Yugi-can-rest-and-get-out-of-his-grumpy-mood look. I snickered at the thought of that.

I bid the guys a farewell and went on my way to Joey's. Apparently the others didn't know about Joey's condition yet, and so I didn't tell them. I figured that if Yugi had wanted them to know, he would've told them. Besides, as much as Joey likes his friends, too many visitors at once could just make things worse. So I went alone.

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate the west side of town? Well, if I haven't, I'm going to now. I **_REALLY_** hate the west side of town. It gives me the creeps. There's goons and gangs around every corner and there's always a dark alley down every street. It gives me the willies, the creeps, the cold-chill-down-the-spine feeling. I wish that Joey could move out of here. I know that he couldn't until he got out on his own, but I wish he could move sooner. I'm always afraid I'm going to be jumped, or assulted, or something like that. Sure, there must be some nice people down here, like Joey, but I have never met them.

Well, I was walking along when I saw someone approaching me. I turned to get away, but there was another. I turned yet again to see yet another thug. I turned all ways only to find I was surrounded. How did this happen? I was being so catious. I didn't even see them. I'm sure there were at least ten or fifteen of them. They encricled me. Their leader, a punk with a blue mohawk, stepped up to me.

"Well, well, well, what's a pretty little dame like you doing so far away from home like this," he asked, walking around me slowly. "I've never seen you around here before. You are dressed to nicely to be one of us. Well, tell you what, you give us money, and we'll let you go. If you don't got any, then we will beat the snot out of you."

He was such a lovely sort, wasn't he. In any case, I had no money. All the money I had that morning had gone towards my lunch. I had maybe a handful of change, and with just that, I knew I wouldn't be able to get away. Then, I saw a break in their ranks were the leader had stepped away. I made a mad dash for it, but they all closed in on me before there was even a chace. They held my arms tightly so I could struggle, but I couldn't fight my way free.

"So, you're one of those, eh?" the leader drawled as he reached in and pulled something out of his pocket in his coat. "Well, we have ways of dealing with that."

The next thing I knew, I was looking into the steelly barrell of a gun. Its evil mouth opened wide, waiting to be allowed to fire it's deadly weapon at me. The leader gave an evil smile as he looked at the pure terror in my eyes.

"Not so brave now are you?" he taunted.

The next part seemed to move in slow motion. I remember watching him pull the trigger and waiting for the bullet. But it never hit. Instead, I remember seeing a flash of black.

A flash of black, not like the blackness of unconciousness, or death, but a flash of black unlike anything I've ever seen.

Shadu: You like? And if you've read Blue Eyes you'll know what part I got my inspiration from. THANK YOU!

Hokage: ::sigh::

Shadu: If you're wondering why it's taking me so long to do anything, it's because I'm back in school. But everyone rejoice with me, I get my braces off the 24th of August, which is next Tuesday. YAY!

Ish: PleaseReview.


	2. Who are you?

Shadu: The original character isn't exactly like the original character. To use him exactly like he is would be hard since his story takes place even before Yami's time. So, if any were wondering (mostly my friends, but oh well). On with the story.

Ch. 2

Who are you?

I saw black. And then, I saw the bullies again. They just stood for a second, and then fell to the ground, bleeding in various places. Then, there was a presence in front of me. I fell to my knees in shock. There was a man, almost as old as Kaiba, standing in front of me. I couldn't see anything but his back until he turned a little and relaxed slightly.

This man was wearing mostly black. He wore black jeans with black shoes. He wore a black, long sleeved, button-up shirt, very similar to Tristan's without the collar, and a white t-shirt underneath. He was very tall, probably tall enough to see eye to eye with Kaiba. His hair stood in small spikes all the way from the nape of his neck to the front. Some of his light brown hair fell into his slate gray eyes and across his nose. I had to look twice before I could be sure that I wasn't seeing things. I wasn't. This guy was actually putting up a sword, a real medieval style sword. He sheathed it with swiftness and grace. I stood up to get a better look at his face. He was breathing hard, and I didn't understand why until I saw his right shoulder. It was bleeding.

"Oh, you're bleeding," I stated, as if I really needed to, I mean, I think he would know if he's bleeding.

He said nothing as he raised his hand to his shoulder. He just stood there, holding his injured shoulder, breathing very heavily. This guy was unbelievable. He had this big hole in his shoulder and he just stood there, holding it and acting like there was nothing there. But it hurt, and I knew it. You could see it in his eyes. He hurt. It was only a little while longer before he turned to me.

"You'd better get home, someone's probably worried about you," he stated in a low voice. "Get your business here done, and go home."

"Wha, how'd you know I wasn't from around here?" I asked in shock.

"You're to nicely dressed," he replied flatly. "Now, please, get on with your business. I won't always be around to save your butt."

I stood in utter stuperment as I watched him walk away, holding his injured and bleeding shoulder. What else could I do? I barely knew the guy, there was no way I was going to stop him. And yet, something inside me screamed for me to stop him.

"Wait!" I finally called. "What's your name?"

He was, however, either out of earshot, or just ignored me. I couldn't really tell which. I guess it didn't matter. I'd never see him again, most likely. I couldn't do anything more than shrug it off and keep walking.

I lifted up my head to get a good whiff of the cool autumn air. The air was so sweet smelling around this time of year. I loved autumn. Joey doesn't really, allergies. But I love autumn. It's the best time of year. It's the time when all the trees show off their amazing colors and then share the colors with the ground below. I love nothing more than to make a pile of leaves and jump into them. Most certainly, this was the best time of year to me. Still, I couldn't fully enjoy today. I was more worried about Joey than I was eager to enjoy the autumn air. That, and I couldn't get that mysterious person out of my head. Who was he? Where did he come from? And why did he help me? Maybe Joey would know.

I was actually relieved when I reached the door of Joey's apartment. I reached up with a timid hand and knocked on the wooden door. I waited and then, I heard a loud cough, and a feeble voice tell me that it was okay to come in and that it was unlocked. I slowly turned the knob and slipped inside.

I found Joey on the couch, nearly asleep as we speak. He had rolled onto his side and now looked up at me as I came into his field of view. I bent down to get a better look at him. His face was pale and his eyes were tired and weary. But his face still held a smile at the sight of his little sister. I gently reached up with my hand and rubbed his warm cheek. He closed his eyes like a contented cat would, and just enjoyed my touch. At that point in time, nothing else mattered. Nothing else but my brother and his comfort mattered.

Joey was so warm. His fever was high. I know why he hadn't been to see a doctor, and it wasn't just because Yugi told me. As Yugi said, Joey had no insurance covering him. That, and even if he did, his dad would have to take him to see the doctor. And I knew that our dad was so self-absorbed that he didn't care what happened to Joey. I did, though, and so did our mother. However, there was nothing we could do besides make Joey feel as comfortable as possible. I hoped that at this moment, I was fulfilling that little pact between me and my mom, our mom.

"Do you want me to call mom?" I asked.

"No," Joey shook his head a little, his voice horse and overused. "Don't worry her."

"Yugi then?" I suggested.

Again, my brother shook his head and replied, "He said that he'll be by later after he takes a nap. I can't say I blame him," Joey lapsed into a coughing fit before he continued, his voice even fainter than before. "He was up all night last night taking care of me. What a guy, eh?"

"Yeah," I agreed, letting an insuppressible smile creep across my face.

Joey reached a hand out of the cover and touched my face gently, and whispered, "You need to take care of yourself. Don't worry yourself too much over me, okay Seren?"

"Okay," I nodded, feeling the beginnings of tears in my eyes.

"Now, you go home, it'll be dark soon, and that's when the really nasty thugs come out," Joey instructed, his voice nearly giving out a couple times.

I nodded and regretfully stood to my feet. I knew he was right. Joey usually was about these kinds of things. With one last glance at my ill brother, I went out the door and started on my way home.

The autumn air greeted me with enthusiasm. But I now had two things to ponder as I went home. I had Joey to worry about, and that stranger to wonder about.

Shadu: What do you think? I promise, mystery man will have a name. You'll find it out soon.

Hokage: Only if you review.

Shadu: Right, so, please do.


	3. Zentar

Shadu: We're back ladies and gents! If you're wondering who mystery man is, you're about to find out. Enjoy.

Hokage: I'm so happy.

Ish: Iforgot,who'sthemysteryman?

Shadu & Hokage: ::slaps forehead::

Ch. 3

Zentar

I got home that night without any more problems. When I got home, I just went to my room and laid on the bed, thinking about what happened today.

What had happened today? Why did that guy help me? And why couldn't I get him out of my head. I couldn't stop thinking about him. I kept seeing the pain in his eyes. He hurt, but it wasn't just from his wound. There was something else there. Something else pained him. I wished I knew what it was, but more importantly, I wished I could help him.

I visited Joey regularly over the next couple of days, but I never saw that guy. I wondered what happened to him. He had a bad wound, and I know it's stupid, but I was worried about him. He did, after all, save my life. And the fact that I didn't see him really made me worry. However, I would get my answer as to what happened to my rescuer very soon.

It had been a total of five days since I had seen the person I had dubbed Mystery Man. I was walking along a safe street in the west side (believe it or not) going to Joey's house when my foot hit something and I nearly tripped. I heard a groan and I saw something move out of the corner of my eye.

I saw black.

My heart leapt. I wondered if it could be Mystery Man. But when I looked around, I didn't see anyone. I looked down the alleyway, and yet there was still no trace of him. Then, I saw a large box that had been turned onto its side, opening facing the walkway. There appeared to be something inside it. I bent down to look inside.

Now, understand that this box was HUGE. It must've been a refrigerator box or something like that. I mean, I've never seen a box this big. Maybe that's how he fit in there.

When I looked inside, I saw black. It was a familiar black. It was Mystery Man. I had found him!

"Hey, hey, fella, wake up," I called to him as I shook his leg, trying to control my excitement.

My excitement faded when he didn't respond. I saw that he had removed his coat and draped it over himself to use like a blanket. His sword was still on his black belt as well. He looked as though he were sleeping, but he never responded. He just lay there, almost as if he were dead. Terror surged through my body at the thought of this. He couldn't be dead. I hoped he wasn't dead. Then, I knew he couldn't possibly be dead because he moved his leg when I tripped over it. That gave me some hope, but not much. He was still unresponsive. Finding no other solution, I grabbed his legs and proceeded to pull him out of the box. I didn't realize that he was lying on his right shoulder, so when I began to drag him, he cried out in pain. I let go immediately. With great effort, I watched as he pulled himself into a sitting position. He sat there, holding his injured shoulder, teeth clenched and eyelids shut tightly. I could hear his teeth gritting together due to the pain. It was a little bit before he opened his eyes to look at me.

"What are you doing here?" he growled through the soreness. "I thought I told you to go home."

"I did, you told me that five days ago," I answered.

I watched as his eyes widen.

"F-five days ago," he stammered.

"Yeah," I nodded.

I was really worried now. That wound must have been worse than I thought.

"May I look at you shoulder?" I asked carefully.

He eyed me skeptically. My spirits plummeted even further. For some reason, I felt as though I was put here on purpose to help him. However, if he doesn't even let me look at his wound how can I help? I decided to try again.

"Please? I won't hurt you," I promised with a smile.

His hand didn't budge, though. Instead, it tightened its grip. I had no idea why he was being so protective, especially since I was willing to help him. Suddenly, a thought hit me. I slipped off my backpack and unzipped it. He watched me with curiosity. I pulled out my lunch sack and looked inside to see if I had anything left over from lunch. I was in luck. I had a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich leftover. I took it out and offered it to him. He shied away and looked at me with wariness.

"It's not poisoned, I promise, you can have it, it's yours, take it," I told him.

I knew he was hungry, he almost had to be. If he were as hungry as I thought he was, he would take the sandwich. Sure enough, he slowly reached out a hand and then quickly snatched the sandwich away from me. I snickered a little at the sight.

He removed his hand on the shoulder that was injured, just like I thought he would. He unwrapped the sandwich and began to eat it, though I think he might've eaten the plastic if I hadn't been there.

"So, what's your name?" I asked as he finished the sandwich.

"Zentar," he replied as he swallowed the last bit of the food.

"Zentar? That's a funny name," I replied as I crumpled my nose playfully at him.

"My parents were funny people," he stated. "So, what's your name, while we're on the subject."

"Serenity," I replied happily.

"Serenity huh? That's a nice name," Zentar told me.

"Oh, by the way, I never got to thank you," I said when I thought of it all of a sudden.

"For what?" Zentar asked, puzzled.

"Saving me from that gun and those bullies," I told him as if it were obvious.

"Oh, it was nothing," Zentar shrugged, and then winced in pain.

That alerted me to his shoulder once again. I was right; he did have a hole in it. It looked like a bullet wound. That's when it hit me. He jumped in the way of the bullet for me. He really did risk his life for me. He could've been hit some place else, but he wasn't. And then, the dealt with the other bullies. I wanted to reach up and touch his shoulder, take out the bullet, heal the wound that I caused, but I couldn't.

"You, you were shot," I stammered looking at his face.

"It's just a scratch," he groaned.

"Zentar, I can see the bullet," I stated bluntly, and it was true, I could see the brass colored back of the bullet.

"Well, there's nothing you can do," he countered.

"I can take you to my mom, she's a doctor, she can help," I replied.

His eyes narrowed to little slits at this. I got the distinct feeling that I had done something wrong, but I didn't know what.

"Why would I want to go to her?" Zentar snarled.

"To help your shoulder," I replied.

"My shoulder's doing fine on its own," Zentar answered quickly.

"Would you let me help you, here?" I questioned.

Zentar just gave me an icy glare, but said no more. I took that as a yes. I was pleased. I could help the man who had helped me.

"I'm going to see my brother, I'll be back tomorrow, alright?" I said as I stood up to walk away.

Zentar again remained silent. I took one last look inside his box. I could see a red spot on the bottom. I'm positive it was blood. I could see where the fibers of the box had soaked up the red substance. It looked like he had lost a lot of blood. I couldn't forget to ask mother about what to do.

I walked away from Zentar and continued my journey to Joey's. I froze, though, when I saw bullies. They were coming for me with pipes and knives. I ran, but they chased after me. They chased me into a corner, into an alley. I shook as I pressed myself up against the wall behind me. I pleaded to see black again. I cried out to see the darkest of all colors. It didn't come. The bullies came and started to attack me with their various weapons. And just when I thought it was over, I saw black.

Shadu: Sigh, another chapter written.

Ish: Ithoughtyouwouldbehappy.

Shadu: Gotcha! I am happy.

Hokage: Shadu would be even happier if you bowed down and said, "Yes my Monoashi."

Ish: Getreal.

Shadu: well, since that won't even happen, I'll settle for reviews instead.


	4. Examination

Shadu: Welp, here's another chapter with everyone's favorite sword-weilding street kid. But wait, if he's as old as Kaiba, shouldn't his correct title be sword-weilding street teen?

Hokage & Ish: ::ponders::

Hokage: It would, wouldn't it?

Ish: Whywoulditbe?

Hokage: Because he's no longer a kid. Therefore, he can't be called a street kid.

Ish: But, isn't street kid a general term.

Shadu: Yes, but not really correct.

Ish: ::is confused:: I don't understand.

Hokage & Shadu: ::smacks forehead::

Shadu: Just forget it.

Ch. 4

Examination

I saw black. I looked up. Zentar had his sword out and had stopped yet another pipe from hitting me. He used his sword to push the bully, and his pipe away. Then, Zentar went in for the strike. Zentar moved fast, almost too fast for my eyes, and struck each of the six punks. He landed in front of me, again. The bullies looked at each other, then rushed towards Zentar. But they never reached him. Before the even got close to Zentar, their arms split open and they cried out in pain, running away from the scene, holding the bleeding area of their bodies. Zentar stood only a few seconds more before collapsing onto the ground. I rushed forward and caught him before he hit the ground. I pulled him over to the wall and propped him up on it. I sat down beside him, trying to get my bearings before continuing.

I looked over at Zentar in concern. It looked like his wound had reopened. It was beginning to bleed again. Being on his right side, I could see the wound easily. I wanted to help him now. I didn't know if he'd be able to hold on until tomorrow.

"Zentar, take off your shirts," I requested.

Zentar opened his eyes and looked at me with a look that asked what in the devil did I think I was doing.

"Please, trust me," I pleaded. "I only want to help you."

Something clicked inside his head; I could see it in his eyes. Slowly, with great pain, he took off his two shirts and allowed me to examine his shoulder.

The area around the injury had become red and had started to swell a little. I was right; it had begun to bleed again. I reached up with a hesitant hand to touch it. Zentar pulled away when I did, wincing in pain.

"Please, sit still," I told him.

He glared at me again, but he didn't move. I tried again. I reached my hand up to gently touch the injury, and he sat still, even through the pain. It was swollen up a little around the bullet, and the swollen area had become a little feverish. I knew I had to get the bullet out soon. It was already starting to infect his body. This couldn't wait until tomorrow. But maybe it could wait until I could go to Joey's and come back.

"Zentar, I'm going to go to my brother's house and get a few things, you stay here, I'll be back," I told him.

"No, if you want to help me, meet me back at my box," he stated, standing up with effort.

"Fine, I'll be back in ten minutes," I nodded.

I watched as he staggered off back towards his home. I then turned my own way and ran to Joey's apartment. I had to hurry. Time was of the essence.

I actually made it to Joey's in due time. I had to act as though there was nothing wrong. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. I waited for an answer; instead I saw the door open and Joey poke his head out, blanket wrapped around his body. He gave a warm, but tired smile.

"Hey sis," he greeted, his voice barely higher than a whisper.

"Joey! What are you doing out of bed?!" I asked sternly, pushing him back through the door and back to the couch.

"Aww sis, you worry too much," Joey complained.

He gave a couple of loud coughs and then looked back at me. I sighed. He never liked being down, that was a known fact. He'd rather be up and about than sleeping in bed, unless it was his idea.

"I'm fine sis, I feel a lot better," Joey stated, smiling at me.

I raised my hand and pressed it against his forehead. His fever was still high. It had come down a little, but not enough.

"You still have a fever Joey," I told him. "You need to stay in bed until it goes away."

"Awww," he whimpered as he gave his pathetic puppy dog eyes.

"Joey, I'm serious," I scolded.

"Alright, okay," he backed off, raising his hands.

"Now, do you need anything?" I questioned.

"Nah, I'm good for now," Joey answered. "Doin' good thanks to you and Yugi and Mrs. Jarks, and Mai," he added.

"Well, I'm happy to hear that," I smiled. "I've gotta go, I have a _ton _of homework. Oh, by the way, do you have any tweezers?"

"Tweezers? Uh, yeah, in the bathroom," Joey replied while trying to suppress a coughing fit.

I walked into the bathroom and looked in the medicine cabinet just as Joey went into another coughing fit. I carefully put the tweezers in my backpack and went back to the living room just as Joey was lying down.

"See you tomorrow Joey, and be sure to get some sleep," I stated unnecessarily.

"I'll try," Joey nodded.

I smiled as I left. But then, the smile left as I remembered the task at hand. That was to help Zentar. I went off back towards his box, hoping to see black once again.

Shadu: Man, gotta go to bed. I really shouldn't write on school nights.

Hokage: You got that right.

Shadu: I think I like Zentar better than Joey. Both being street kids you know. Or street teens.

Hokage: I hope you like Zentar better, you created him. And Ish is still pondering the street teen thing.

Ish: WHATTHEHECKAREYOUTWOTALKINGABOUT?WHATARESTREETTEENS?!?!

Hokage & Shadu: ::smacks forehead::

Shadu: Well, please review, and see you next chapter.

Hokage: this was written last night, by the way.


	5. Pain

Shadu: Okay, I'm back and ready for action. So is Zentar, right buddy?

Zentar: Sure. I have just one small request.

Shadu: And it is?

Zentar: GET THIS IDIOTIC BULLET OUT OF MY STUPID SHOULDER!!!!!!!

Shadu: Moving right along, here's chappie five.

Ch. 5

Pain

I was a little unsure on how this would work. I mean, I've taken out splinters and stuff before, but never a bullet. I was so nervous as I walked up to Zentar's home. What if I made things worse? What if I couldn't help him? Then what would I do? I decided I couldn't think about that now. Now, I had to worry about the task at hand. Just concentrate on getting the shell out, nothing else.

"Zentar," I called into the box. "I'm back."

Once again I heard a groan, and saw Zentar move out of his box. His head emerged and looked at me with a piercing glare. But that glare softened and disappeared when he saw me. I pulled out the pair of tweezers that I had borrowed from Joey. I knew it would've been much better if my mom had done this, but he had already stated that he wouldn't go to her. I figured I was lucky to even be getting this far.

I was relieved to see that Zentar hadn't put his shirts back on. That would make things a little easier. And then I realized I didn't have anything to wrap the wound in after I had gotten the bullet. I surfed through my backpack to find nothing. I didn't have a thing.

"What are you looking for?" Zentar asked me.

"Something to wrap your wound in," I stated, looking back at him.

Zentar thought for a moment, then turned back into his box. He presented me with a bandana that already had a little blood on it. I looked at him in confusion.

"I use it to clean my sword," Zentar stated. "It's the only thing I have. You may use it."

"Zentar, I," I began to protest.

"Listen, take it, or leave it, I don't care, I'm not the one who insists on taking it out," Zentar stated pointedly.

I took the bandana hesitantly, looking at him unsurely. He sighed impatiently.

"Well, if you're going to take it out, then let's get it over with," Zentar growled.

I took a deep breath, and began. Using my forefinger and middle finger, proceeded to spread the wound open. I could feel Zentar's muscles tense and relax and tense again as he tried his hardest not to pull away.

_I'm sorry for your pain, Zentar, _I thought silently. _I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I had to cause you pain._

I wedged the tweezers into the wound until I found the end of the bullet. Grasping a hold of it, I began to rock it back and forth. With every rock, every movement, Zentar winched and grunted. It made me want to cringe every time he cried in pain. I hoped it would be over soon. It seemed like forever before the bullet was out. Quickly, I pressed the bandana against the now gaping wound. Zentar groaned loudly at this, but did not move. I tied the bandana tightly, making sure it wouldn't slip off. Now that it was over, Zentar was looking very pale indeed, and he was breathing even heavier now.

"Lie down Zentar," I urged.

He didn't have to be told twice. He laid down willingly, moving slowly in order to not jostle his arm. I took one of his shirts, the black one, and draped it over him. He didn't protest. He laid there, breathing heavily, as he waited for the pain to go away.

"I'll be back tomorrow to check on you," I told him in a soft voice.

He didn't reply other than nodding his head weakly. I reached in his box and brushed his cheek. I watched as a shiver ran down his body. Standing up, I made my way home.

It didn't take my mom long to notice that there was something on my mind. But at least she let me finish my homework before asking questions. It was at dinner that she decided to say something.

"Serenity, what's on your mind?" she asked.

"Oh, it's nothing mom," I lied.

"Serenity, you've barely eaten any of your food, what's wrong?" my mom tried again.

"It's just, remember that guy I told you about that saved me?" I stated.

"Mystery man?" my mom asked.

"Yes, that's him," I confirmed. "Well, his name is Zentar and I found him today on my way to Joey's, and he was looking really bad. The wound had become infected. I would've come to you to get advice, but I didn't think he could wait. His bullet had to be taken out today."

"How'd you do it?" Mom questioned.

"I used from Joey Tweezers and wedged it out," I replied.

"Why didn't he go to the hospital?" Mom wondered.

"Mom, this guy lives in a cardboard box," I stated.

"How's he doing?" Mom asked.

"I don't know, he was looking very pale when I left," I stated.

My mom paused, and then inquired, "Honey, do you like this guy?"

I could feel my face turn pink as I shook my head and told her, "No, no, it's not that at all, it's just, I owe him my life. But since I can't really give him that, I thought that helping him like this was the best thing to do."

"Are you really that worried about him?" my mom looked at me.

"Yes," I nodded, looking back.

"Then how about we go down and check on him after dinner, sound good?" she proposed.

I wasn't sure. It sounded good, but Zentar had said that he wouldn't go to her. So, why would he allow her to come to him? I was in a tight spot. Should I go against Zentar's wishes and get him help? Or, should I accept his wishes and let him die?

Shadu: Whoohoo! Another done. Sorry it took so long. I haven't been that inspired for this story until just recently.

::Magic walks in::

Magic: Hey, how's it going?

Shadu: Going good.

Ish: ::begins to sing terribly off-key:: Oh, oh, it's Magic, ya know!!

Magic: ::backs away slowly:: Right...

Shadu: Uh, please review. Maybe that'll shut up Ish.


End file.
